What are Your Favorite Parts of our Shaving Hobby?

[Tillerman]

I like many aspects of the hobby. Started because wanted a better shave. That was accomplished on day one.
Then started enjoying the process. Graduated from Cremo to soaps and a brush , then added a couple of razors. Accumulated four razors but only use 2. This won't be a rad, sad or bad hobby for me. It will continue because the experience is very relaxing and satisfying on a daily basis.

 

[VitBut]

The process of shaving has become a ritual rather than tedious scratching with a disposable machine every morning.

 

[5whiskey]

My answer has pretty much been said by several others, so all I'm doing is posting a second (or third, fourth, fifth, etc).

-my shaves are as close as they ever have been (easily at least more so, but we will go with conservative estimates)
-my shaves are 100% more comfortable with less razor burn
-i also like the connection with the past. My dad, grandpa, and great grandpa shaved this way
-with connecting to the past, I also like antiques that I can actually use. And are as good of an option as any modern option. And is often cheaper (ok almost always)
-I shave with SRs so honing is a hobby all its own.
-Particularly with straight razors, it's literally possible to buy something used by a revolutionary war veteran for around $50, hone it, use it, and it will be just as serviceable as any similarly priced modern option.

 

[Razrnewb]

What are your favorite parts of our DE or SE shaving hobby? This can be anything from starting or taking a break from your day for zen like 10-20 minutes while shaving to specific elements of the process or the types of hardware (e.g. razors) or software (e.g. soaps, creams, blades that we use. I'll start.

My favorite two elements are:

• DE shaving provides a relaxing 15 minute break from the day-to-day that is quite relaxing as I focus on each step of the process from my pre-shave face wash to the creation of great lather and then executing the shave itself. While shaving anything else is tuned out.
• Lather Creation from Shaving Soap, this is the one element were we actually create the final finished good, the shaving lather. I really enjoy experimenting with all the different elements that are part of this from choosing a soap (or blending one), deciding on which brush will work best and then adjusting the variables such loading or adding water that effect the lather quality.

Early on I did experiment with different blades but found that, with my beard and technique, they shave in similar fashion with the exception of actual blade longevity (# of shaves). Regarding software I was able to, over my first year, settle on the two synthetic and one boar brush that allow me to create great lather from any soap. Also settled on a couple of razors that really work well for me and see no need to experiment further.

What do you enjoy most about our hobby?

Perfect stated! It’s as gratifying to me as making a perfect roux, omelette or steak. I as well look forward to a few minutes of turning off an overly busy brain and focusing on a pure task without distraction to obtain a satisfying result. The perfect way to start a day.

 

[Australian Shaver]

The scents of the soaps and aftershaves

But who am I kidding I love the whole thing

 

[AimlessWanderer]

This forum. That's the nearest thing to a hobby for me with shaving.

I'd already been double edge shaving for 25 years before I signed up here. However, it was a pretty simplistic endeavour. After signing up here, I did try various new things, but have drifted back to simple shaving again.

I do have a stockpile of consumables now though (soap and blades), and have a few spare natural brushes. I keep one hard soap, one cream, and one sample sized scoop of a tub soap in the bathroom at a time. A new one only goes out when one if those is finished. There's usually two brushes to choose from too. However, the individual shaves themselves have gone back to being almost as simple as they were before I signed up to Badger and Blade. Just as effective, just as close, and just as comfortable.

The biggest change is that I now more than one option before me when I go to shave (three soaps/creams, two razors, and two brushes), and I have a forum to discuss shaving (but more often non-shaving) topics on... but shaving itself never really became a hobby for me. Nor did the associated shopping. I've still spent less in my 30 years of DE shaving than I would have done on cartridges and foam, and now that I have a bit of a stockpile of consumables, I'll have very little expenditure ahead of me for a good few years.

 

[Psychtec]

I shave with the 1924 shovel head. It is the only razor I use.

1. I love putting it together
2. I love the way it feels on my face.
3. I like taking it apart and cleaning it after the shave.

I am bald with a goatee. I like the feel of putting my hands through my goatee conditioning it after the shave.

I enjoy combing my goatee to see how much it it growing.

 

[dotKomo]

Hanging out with my buds here at B&B!

 

[steveclarkus]

Lather to aftershave in under five minutes.

 

[Psychtec]

What I enjoy about the hobby. When I shave, I shave with a
1912 GEM
1912 GEM Jr
1924 Shovel head

1. I enjoy the toast scrapping sound of the blade that tells me how my shave is going, especially when I am using a blade for the first time. When going from stumble to smooth, sound to no sound is a sense of accomplishment.

2. Like Ron, I enjoy the history of razors, blades and wet shaving. To respect the history I like to keep my three razors in good condition. I enjoy cleaning my tools including the blade after each use. I enjoy watching and listening to You Tube safety razor reviews. It is relaxing.

3. When I shave I enjoy watching You Tube videos on World War Two. I especially enjoyed watching and listening to the battles in the pacific with Japan. It is relaxing.

Enjoyable thread.

 

[Psychtec]

What I enjoy about the hobby. When I shave, I shave with a
1912 GEM
1912 GEM Jr
1924 Shovel head

1. I enjoy the toast scrapping sound of the blade that tells me how my shave is going, especially when I am using a blade for the first time. When going from stumble to smooth, sound to no sound is a sense of accomplishment.

2. Like Ron, I enjoy the history of razors, blades and wet shaving. To respect the history I like to keep my three razors in good condition. I enjoy cleaning my tools including the blade after each use. I enjoy watching and listening to You Tube safety razor reviews. It is relaxing.

3. When I shave I enjoy watching You Tube videos on World War Two. I especially enjoyed watching and listening to the battles in the pacific with Japan. It is relaxing.

Enjoyable thread.

Ron

I give you props. I have been wet shaving for about two years now.

I enjoy reading your threads and your charts. I have learned so much about history, GEM’s and SE blades from you.

I just wanted to give you the shout out you deserve. Thank you.

 

[Ron R]

Ron

I give you props. I have been wet shaving for about two years now.

I enjoy reading your threads and your charts. I have learned so much about history, GEM’s and SE blades from you.

I just wanted to give you the shout out you deserve. Thank you.

Thanks for the kind words, have a great week and some great shaves!

 

[DEgeezer]

I enjoy every part of shaving. One reason I shave in the evening is so I can take my time and sort of unwind from the day's activities.

 

[Lockback]

For almost a half century, shaving was just a chore for me, something to get done before dashing off to work. Now retired, I got tired of using grossly overpriced cartridge razors, all of which are proprietary, and had the time and interest to pursue another direction in shaving.
And it opened up a whole new world to me.
As others have mentioned, the 15-20 minutes I spend each morning after my shower are my Morning Zen Time. We all have enough garbage in our lives that take up our time and energy. This is my ME time. And I enjoy every minute of it. In addition to getting the best shaves of my life, I also have a lot of choices and that's part of the fun. Prior to shaving, usually the night before, I put together a little puzzle in my mind: what combination of razor/blade/brush/soap or cream shall I use next? So if I have a great shave - which I do almost every day - and it takes the drudgery out of what used to be a chore, it's worth every penny and every second of time spent on it.

 

[mcee_sharp]

I bought my first DE a few years ago, it was generally used to clean up my neck infrequently, and do a full shave, even MORE infrequently. I really started getting into it and doing it "properly" last winter. Now it's part of my daily routine and offers me a break from work, usually mid-morning or midday.

It's time dedicated to myself as my wife has a lot of health issues currently, and our daughter is autistic, so it forces me to take care of myself too. Helps that it's enjoyable and falls right in line with my love of process, and procedure as well. Also a benefit that it's definitely upped my skin care regimen as well.

Like many of us as well, it falls right in line with my need for a hobby that also happens to involve buying pretty things.

My next steps in self improvement are getting back on the road bike for daily rides (I'm ~5,000 km behind my usual pace and holding steady at 0 this year), and remembering to eat breakfast and lunch!

 

[Submariner]

My favorite part of my morning shave is creating the lather. For me, it's a moment of relaxation followed by personal satisfaction. I'm not anal about finding the perfect lather, though. I just enjoy the process.

The shave itself....yeah, I used to hate shaving but now I find the daily experience as "my time".

 

[Ckmaui]

I bought my first DE a few years ago, it was generally used to clean up my neck infrequently, and do a full shave, even MORE infrequently. I really started getting into it and doing it "properly" last winter. Now it's part of my daily routine and offers me a break from work, usually mid-morning or midday.

It's time dedicated to myself as my wife has a lot of health issues currently, and our daughter is autistic, so it forces me to take care of myself too. Helps that it's enjoyable and falls right in line with my love of process, and procedure as well. Also a benefit that it's definitely upped my skin care regimen as well.

Like many of us as well, it falls right in line with my need for a hobby that also happens to involve buying pretty things.

My next steps in self improvement are getting back on the road bike for daily rides (I'm ~5,000 km behind my usual pace and holding steady at 0 this year), and remembering to eat breakfast and lunch!

is that the Powell Vato rats?
It sure looks like it
just curious used to own a skate shop in the 80s moved about 5000+ boards a year out of it and did snowboards and bikes

 

[mcee_sharp]

is that the Powell Vato rats?
It sure looks like it
just curious used to own a skate shop in the 80s moved about 5000+ boards a year out of it and did snowboards and bikes

You know it! It's been a few years since I skated, but still dig it.

 

[Ckmaui]

You know it! It's been a few years since I skated, but still dig it.

very cool that and the RIP stickers skull dude but the Vato rats were one of the best

 

[AshleyC]

My DEs are stampings, castings, forgings, precision machined and mostly plated in nickel or chromium. New or vintage, they are tools. And there is a satisfaction in acquiring and using tools like that I just don't get from some plastic thing from the shaving aisle at Kroger.

But I don't have to tell you that.

Of course there is the ritual. It is an every other day thing for me. Lately, I listen to classical jazz during the ritual.

A couple months ago a friend suggested I'd look good with a beard. Never.